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Sunday, November 21st, 2004
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MANAGUA -- Frightened peasants from a town in northeastern Nicaragua reported the sudden deaths of a number of sheep, apparently attacked by a strange animal known as "Chupacabras", according Managua based press sources.
According to residents of Tolapa, province of Leon, som 100 km from the capital city, this is "the return of the Chupacabras" - - a strange creature first reported in 1995 in Mexico and Puerto Rico and which was also reported in Nicaragua three years ago. "We found 12 dead female sheep [under the same circumstances] as those we lost three years ago. They had two holes in the neck," said farmer Alicia Icabalceta to "El Nuevo Diario".
Albertina Brenes, a resident of Tolapa -- the site where the first Nicaraguan chupacabras was reported -- claimed to have lost five sheep attacked by the mysterious animal. "One of my nephews heard lots of noise and the sheep were restless. When we woke up in the morning we found five dead sheep," said her son, Teodoro Rojas.
Farmers who claim having seen the "Chupacabras" describe it as a mix of dog and kangaroo, with hind legs larger than the front ones and "very shiny eyes", according to the newspaper.
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Intense persecution of a strange entity engaged in the systematic extermination of sheep in the town of Tolapa appears to have come to a close after one of the residents managed to inflict a fatal wound on the animal commonly known as "Chupacabras." A month and a half ago, the community embarked upon an odyssey involving massive sheep deaths resulting from the apparent extraction of blood by an unknown predator endowed with sizeable fangs capable of drilling into its victim's necks. The presence of this being, characterized as being bold, dog-like and capable of making rapid movements, conducted its final attacks on the San Lorenzo farm, forcing the estates owner, Jorge Luis Talavera, to initiate a hunt that would terminate the "Chupacabras" existence. "It came in search of another sheep on Friday and I became aware of its presence in the paddocks. [I fired] several shots with my shotgun until [the creature] lost itself in the darkness," explained Jorge Luis, who claimed having injured the creature a week ago, judging by the blood trail found on his farm. He was unable to locate the body.
On Monday morning, the presence of circling vultures heralded the existence of a dead animal in the farm's vicinity, which roused the curiosity of watchman Jairo Garcia. Garcia headed toward where the carrion birds circled and managed to reach a cave-like structure located a hundred meters from the house. There he found the animal his employer had shot two nights earlier and which was probably responsible for the deaths of so many sheep.
Skull of the creature from the article
Skull of the recent creature
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Friday, November 19th, 2004
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It's happened again -- another mysterious creature has popped up. This time, here in San Antonio. What is it? A coyote? A Chupacabra?
"I happened to be looking out my window and saw what I thought was a fawn in my backyard," said a homeowner who didn't want to be identified.
What he found was a blue-grayish animal with very little hair, a long tail, fangs and long claws.
"I had friends say this is the Chupacabra, I saw it on WOAI, why don't you give them a call," said the man. "I don't even know what a Chupacabra is."
The man doesn't want to be identified so his house won't turn into a tourist attraction. After all, these past sightings gave all kinds of attention to places like Elmendorf and Lufkin. But really, what are these animals?
"I looked at the video you have shown me and from the structure of the muzzle of the animal, ear and all, he or she looks like a coyote, in very very bad shape," said Lynn Cuny with the Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation.
But a blue-gray coyote? Cuny says mange can do that.
"It does distort the body, there's no question about that, that's what takes place," says Cuny.
Until the next sighting..
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Tuesday, November 16th, 2004
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STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, Colo. -- An animal suspected of eating cats and other pets in Steamboat Springs, Colo., may be a fox with a skin disorder.
The Colorado Division of Wildlife gave city police that assessment after looking at a photo of the animal believed responsible for the disappearance of scores of cats over the summer.
The picture appears to be that of a fox with mange or some other skin problem, according to DOW District Wildlife Manger Valarie Masiello.
This "mystery animal" was captured in Maryland and turned out to be a fox with mange.
"The animal should not be considered more of a danger than any other wild animal, but without fur to keep it warm, its caloric demands are high, and it will eat constantly to sustain itself," Masiello told the Steamboat Pilot newspaper.
She said hairless foxes are not rare in the area and wildlife officials see a few every year. Many regain their fur, but those who don't are not able to survive the harsh winter.
More than 50 cats have been reported missing in the Steamboat area, and Masiello said the hairless fox is probably only one of the culprits. She advised residents not to let their pets outside
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More information on mange
The mite’s activity causes the skin to react and this intense pruritus causes the animal to bite and scratch constantly, self inflicting open wounds and secondary bacterial infection often follows. All the scratching and biting opens the burrow and once the female mite is exposed she dies. The eggs and faecal debris left behind continue to cause pruritus which in turn causes more self mutilation, more females to die, more pruritus, more self mutilation etc etc.
This intense irritation is often made worse by heat. A fox suffering from mange will often act abnormally. It’s fear for humans often appears lost. It will walk around almost aimlessly during daylight hours constantly biting and scratching at the irritation. Always on the move and unable to rest for long periods, many of the affected foxes will be dehydrated, often observed drinking for a duration of minutes as opposed to seconds. In most cases the mange starts at the rear end and the great majority of foxes will have one leg off the ground, due mainly to the self inflicted open wounds causing apparent soreness to the back end.
If the mite infestation in addition to the secondary bacterial infections and the dehydration wasn’t bad enough, many foxes will also suffer some degree of conjunctivitis. In four months an untreated fox is likely to be dead.
Mange and parvo enteritis are two of the most serious fox diseases. Mange is caused by mites which tunnel into the fox's skin, causing irritation and loss of fur. Infections occur as a result of the growing eggs and excrement in the the skin, and caking or crusting occurs particularly around the eyes and nose of the infected fox. Nearly naked tails are observed in mange infested fox, and it appears that nearly all foxes infected with mange die slow and painful deaths.
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Fox habitat, diet
Habitat and home
Red foxes prefer the borders of forested areas and adjacent open lands while gray foxes live in wooded areas and fairly open brushland. Gray foxes make dens in hollow logs, hollow trees, under rock piles, or occasionally in the ground. These dens are filled with grass, leaves or shredded bark. During most of the year, red foxes sleep on the ground in a convenient, sheltered spot. During the breeding season, though, they provide a den for the young. This is often a modified woodchuck burrow but may be dug by the female fox. Dens may be on the sunny side of a hill or bank in an open field, along a fence row, at the edge of timber or in a natural rock cavity. About four feet (1.2 m) under ground is a chamber containing a grass bed for the young. Several smaller, temporary dens may be located nearby where the pups can be moved in time of danger.
Habits
Foxes are primarily nocturnal but may come out in daylight, especially in late morning or early evening. Because they often travel over the same routes, worn and well-marked trails soon develop. Both species show the dog-like trait of rolling on dead carcasses and other strong-smelling objects. In contrast to red foxes, gray foxes readily climb trees. They climb out of curiosity, to search for food, to take refuge from dogs or to lie on limbs and sun. Gray foxes are less cunning than red foxes and are regarded as easier to trap. Both species can run about 26 miles (41.6 km) per hour top speed but slow down after the initial spurt. During the season when the young are being fed, adults usually travel less than one mile (1.6 km) in any direction from the den; but throughout the rest of the year, they may cover an area 5-10 miles (8-16 km) in diameter.
Foods
Rabbits, rats and mice form the bulk of the diet of foxes, and this portion of their feeding habits is considered beneficial. Additional items include other small mammalian species, wild birds, insects and only a small amount of plant material. To a certain extent, they do feed on small livestock and poultry, but the economic loss is not as great as it appears because doubtless some of this is carrion. When available, about a pound of meat is eaten at a feeding. If food is plentiful, more is killed than the fox can eat. This surplus usually is buried in the ground, covered with grass or leaves, and sometimes sprinkled with urine. The fox may return to his food cache from time to time, even if not hungry, to look at and play with some of the items.
Foxes are true omnivores capable of devouring a large variety of plant and animal matter. On the vegetarian side of the equation, possible foods include various grasses, grains, fungi, berries and fruit. It's much better known carnivorous diet might consist of insects (especially grasshoppers where abundant), rodents such as mice and voles, rabbits, birds, earthworms, carrion and more.
Head-and-body length: 58-90 cm, males 67 cm, females 63 cm. Tail length: 32-49 cm, males 45 cm, females 38 cm. Shoulder height: 35-40 cm. Weight: 3-11 kg, males 6.7 kg, females 5.4 kg.
Subspecies
There are several subspecies of red fox, since they have such a wide range. As many as 48 subspecies have been described. The validity of the subspecies in the list below is not known.
V. v. abietorum -- western Canada
V. v. aeygptiaca -- Egypt
V. v. alascensis -- Alaska, Yukon territory
V. v. aplherakyi -- Turkestan
V. v. alticola
V. v. anatolica -- Asia Minor
V. v. arabica -- Muscat
V. v. aurantioluteus -- Szechuan
V. v. atlantica
V. v. barbaras -- NW Africa
V. v. beringiana -- NE Siberia
V. v. cascadensis -- NW coast of U.S. and British Columbia
V. v. caucasica -- Caucasian Mountain area
V. v. crucigera -- Germany
V. v. daurica
V. v. diluta
V. v. dolichocrania -- Russian Far East
V. v. dorsalis
V. v. flavescens -- N Iran
V. v. fulva -- eastern United States
V. v. griffithi -- Afghanistan
V. v. harrimani -- Kodiak Island, Alaska
V. v. hoole -- S China
V. v. ichnusae -- Sardinia V. v. induta -- Cyprus
V. v. jakutensis -- Yakutsk
V. v. jaopnica -- Japan
V. v. karagan -- Khirgizia
V. v. kenaiensis -- Kenai Peninsula, Alaska
V. v. krimeamontana -- Crimea
V. v. kurdistanica
V. v. macroura -- Rocky Mts., U.S.
V. v. montana -- Himalayas
V. v. necator -- California and Nevada, U.S.
V. v. ochroxantha
V. v. palaestina -- Palestine
V. v. peculiosa -- Korea
V. v. pusilla -- Punjab
V. v. regalis -- north-central Canada, south to Nebraska and Missouri
V. v. rubricosa -- southern Quebec and Nova Scotia
V. v. schrencki -- Sakhalin
V. v. silacea -- Spain
V. v. splendidissima -- Kurile Is.
V. v. stepensis
V. v. tobolica -- W Siberia
V. v. tschiliensis -- NE. China
V. v. vulpecula
V. v. waddelli -- Tibet
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UFOs are showing a keen interest in our nuclear weapons facilities, says investigator Robert Hastings, who has spent countless hours analyzing documents dealing with UFO sightings at nuclear missile launch sites and research labs in the United States over the past several decades.
"You have reference to these objects hovering, racing away at blinding speed," he told Idaho 2 News. "There is no evidence we have an aircraft that can do that or anyone else on earth."
Hastings, who has devoted countless hours researching UFOs and the U.S. government's reaction to them, was in Boise for a lecture and slide show Monday at Boise State University.
Hastings believes we are being visited by aliens who have mastered a faster than light form of space flight. And he speculates they have not openly revealed themselves to avoid public panic.
"What they're doing is engaging in a decades long psychological preparation process whereby slowly but surely people on earth understand this is real, they're here," he said.
Hastings believes three UFOs with aliens on board did crash at Roswell, New Mexico in 1947 and points to a 1950 memo to FBI Director J Edgar Hoover saying three so-called flying saucers had been recovered "each one occupied by three bodies of human shape but only 3 feet tall "
And he says the spectacular UFO sighting earlier this year off the Yucatan Peninsula were the real deal. But Hastings is not a believer in the theory aliens and earthlings are working together at Area 51, the top secret base in the Nevada desert, as some suggest.
In the end, Hastings says what's missing -- so far -- is physical evidence, but he says the story is far from over.
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Friday, November 12th, 2004
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Mange
Description and Distribution
Mange is a skin disease of mammals caused by a tissue-burrowing arthropod, the mange mite. A variety of mange mites exist; the ones most often identified as the cause of mange in Michigan wildlife are Sarcoptes scabiei and Notoedres centrifera. The mites are too small to be seen with the naked eye, but skin changes brought on by infestation can be dramatic. The skin diseases caused by these species of mites are sarcoptic and notoedric mange.
Sarcoptic mange has been reported in a wide range of mammals nationwide. In Michigan, sarcoptic mange has been reported in red fox, coyote, gray wolf, porcupine, black bear, cottontail rabbit, and raccoon. Notoedric mange has been reported in North America and in Michigan in the eastern fox squirrel and the gray (black) squirrel. There is some question as to the specificity of the mites causing mange on the various species of wildlife. Some parasitologists believe the mite is specific for the host on which it is found. Other parasitologists challenge this belief because there are records of transfer from fox to wolf and dog, rabbit to monkey, goat to man, dog to man, etc. It appears that sarcoptic mange mites are less host-specific than originally believed allowing for an infestation to occur on a dog that has contact with a mangy wild canid. Notoedric mange mites are host specific for squirrels and are not transmissible to either canid or feline pets.
Transmission and Development
Sarcoptic and notoedric mange mites spread to new hosts through direct body contact or by transfer from common nests and burrows. Stages in the life cycle include the egg, larva, 2 nymphs and the adult. The parasite lives and burrows in the skin layers. Fertilized females deposit eggs as they tunnel through the skin, and the eggs hatch in 3 to 4 days. Males complete their development in 13 to 16 days, females in 18 to 23 days. Fertilization apparently takes place when the female is in its final stage of development.
Clinical Signs
Sarcoptic mange is characterized by thinning and loss of hair, thickening and wrinkling of the skin, and scab and crust formation. Red foxes are the most severely affected, exhibiting a thinning of hair accompanied by accumulations of foul-smelling, wet, crusted exudate about the head, and in severe cases, over much of the trunk and legs. In advanced cases, animals are emaciated and weak.
Notoedric mange results in hair loss, first over the chest and shoulders (see illustration), but progressing over the entire body. In extreme cases nearly the entire body is bare and the exposed skin becomes thickened and dark. There is no crust formation on the skin of the squirrels.
Pathology
Sarcoptic mange is a serious disease in many animals. Severe infections result in drastic changes in the skin and evidence of ill health in the host. The disease seems particularly pathologic to foxes, especially in pups in the summer. The hair becomes sparse, the skin inflamed and irritated. Tissue serum and pus resulting from bacterial infection in the damaged skin combine to form a thick, odorous crust over the affected areas. Skin changes around the eyes, ears and mouth may cause blindness, impaired hearing and difficulty in eating. The disease is often fatal to red foxes. Notoedric mange is a serious disease of squirrels, especially during the winter. Large areas of the body or the entire body becomes denuded of hair and the animal may die from exposure because of the loss of their insulating layer of fur. Spontaneous recovery with full restoration of the hair coat is frequently observed in squirrels.
Diagnosis
Mites are generally abundant in the skin and in the moist exudate about the involved areas. Tentative diagnosis made from clinical signs should be confirmed by examining skin scrapings under a microscope for the presence of mites.
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Thursday, November 11th, 2004
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A rancher in Elmendorf, southeast of San Antonio, found a strange creature attacking his livestock, and local animal experts say identifying it is a tough call. The animal found in Elmendorf has fangs and is somewhat blue in color. It's hairless except for a strip going down its back, so some say it possibly suffered from some kind of mange.
The animal itself is about four feet long, and the most predominant aspect physically is the canines. The skeletal structure of more than one animal captured just does not add up with any of the 'guesses' currently made. However, if there could possibly be one animal that I would lean towards, it would be that of a coyote. Yet, there still is not a direct link that I would attribute to both creatures. The back legs or the haunches of the creature are unlike that of a coyote. They are quite enlongated and irregular for a 'normal' canine.
Texas biologists have stated that the strange animals located in Lufkin and Elmendorf, Texas earlier this year were coyotes with mange. They did no DNA studies of the animals, and made no effort, beyond looking at some photographs, to determine why, if they are coyotes, the disease they have has altered the configuration of their skulls. In fact, the animals have a disease more profound than mange, if they are coyotes, because their skeletons have been altered, most particularly the lower jaws, which appear to have incisors that are far larger than those in any canid, or, in fact, any known mammal.
Examples of guesses are as follows:
Coyote with mange
Fox with mange
Mexican Hairless Dog
Muntjac
Thylacine
*Chupacabra
**footnotes follow with each example
The first few images that coordinate with the topic are pretty self explantatory. I will go a bit deeper into the coyote mainly because I want to point out the difference in the skull attributes in both animals. It has been noted that the fusion in the jawbone of the unidentifed creature is not a deformity.
Coyote with Mange
Normal skull of a coyote
The Unidentified Creature
In the second picture, the main view is of the lower jawbone. Clearly scene is the protrusive lower canines of the animal. This has been seen in more than one of the creature. Although the skulls do appear somewhat similiar in nature, there is a still a contrast. One other quick note to add in is the fact that when the second creature was shot, the skin was found to basically crumble in the hands of a vet taking photographs of the animal.
Fox with Mange
Mexican Hairless Dog
Again, there are some similiar aspects that can be noted on the two. The skin tone is familiar. However, there are more things that just do not add up. The jawline is not typical of the unidentified animal, and the legs (haunches) are in no way aligned with one another. The entire body structure of this dog is dramatically different than that of the creature. I have seen one of these mexican dogs before, and I just don't see it. I would still stick more closely with that of a coyote.
Muntjac
I am not sure what genius put a guess on this one. There is nothing even remotely similiar to that of a Muntjac and the creature at stake. What I thought was more ironic is the fact that the Muntjac has hooves, bi-split hooves. The creature has claws. Clearly seen, there is not really any point in further analysis on the Muntjac. But, in order to clear this one I went ahead and took a look at some skeletal remains of a Muntjac and once again there is nothing that even comes close. Putting a third bullet into this one and even a fourth. The Muntjac is a herbivore but does have canines. Certainly a unique animal. Basically put on the end, interesting thought, without the thinking.
Thylacine
The Thylacine, ( Thylacinus cynocephalus ), had no shortage of nicknames. It has been called the Tasmanian Pouched Wolf, Tasmanian Tiger, Kangaroo Wolf, Zebra Wolf, and, occasionally, the Hyena Opossum. Of course, it wasn't a wolf, or, for that matter, a tiger, kangaroo, zebra, OR a hyena. I guess it WAS kind of an opossum though…
It was a marsupial, with a backward-opening pouch for it's young like a 'possum, but it looked like a canid. Before the Aborigines arrived in Australia, the Thylacine was the top of the food chain on the mainland as well as on the island of Tasmania. With the aborigines arrival came their pet dogs, ( dingoes ), and after a couple hundred years, the Thylacines were gone from Australia proper.
Again, there really is no comment on this one other than the fact that the Thylacine was an incredible animal. I see no similiarities here. Perhaps in the back end area of the animals there is some aspects that are the same. I really can't say on this one.
Chupacabra
Last but not least we have the infamous chupacabra. One creature that I have done much research on only to have no avail. It's hard to study something that is basically an urban legend of sorts. But nonetheless, it's great fun to read and hear about stories, see hundreds of 'pictures' and even hear a recording or two. It's much like the ever popular bigfoot legend. You have the "merry-go-round" evidence, but nothing conclusive. I suppose the reason for people hyping up the story of the chupacabra on this one is the fact that the animal has enormous canines, seems to enjoy killing for fun.. and well, it's just downright grotesque. I cannot really display any similiar aspects or any of the opposite. Legend is legend and until DNA analysis is confirmed, there really is no telling yet. Other than rich guesses and claims.. these creatures popping up everywhere will remain a legend in themselves. I'll be glad when this particular case is done with. I've got a lot more going on right now that needs attention. For now, I'll leave with a bit of information on the chupacabra and until further DNA is accounted for, things will have be left like this.
The chupacabra ("goat sucker") is an animal said to be unknown to science and systemically killing animals in places like Puerto Rico and Mexico. The creature's name originated with the discovery of some dead goats in Puerto Rico with puncture wounds in their necks and their blood allegedly drained. According to UFO Magazine there have been more than 2,000 reported cases of animal mutilations in Puerto Rico in the last two years attributed to the chupacabra.
Puerto Rican authorities maintain that the deaths are due to attacks from groups of stray dogs or other exotic animals, such as the panther, illegally introduced in the island's territory. The director of Puerto Rico's Department of Agriculture Veterinary Services Division, Hector Garcia, has stated that there is nothing unusual or extraordinary about the cases they've observed. One veterinarian said "it could be a human being who belongs to a religious sect, even another animal. It could also be someone who wants to make fun out of the Puerto Rican people."
Like other creatures in the cryptozoologist's barnyard, the chupacabra has been variously described. Some witnesses have seen a small half-alien, half-dinosaur tailless vampire with quills running down its back; others have seen a panther like creature with a long snake-like tongue; still others have seen a hopping animal that leaves a trail of sulfuric stench. Some think it may be a type of dinosaur heretofore unknown. Some are convinced that the wounds on animals whose deaths have been attributed to the chupacabra indicate an alien presence. However, they do not attribute the "mutilations" to the aliens themselves, but to one of their pets or experiments gone awry. Such creatures are known as Anomalous Biological Entities [ABEs] in UFO circles.
Familiar with ABE's? Sadly, far to much.
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